Railway pilot structure



March 24, 1953 T. R. GILCHRlsT 2,632,572

RAILWAY PILOT STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 5, 1949 3 sheets-sheet 1 2., w Z l n @T w 2 z 2 a. a. W 5 a 9^ 1. 2 fIl N 0^ 7 l. IIJ 2 .a al?. 3 ,e 2 r|||.||n ..|.4 l 3 9 7 a, n lru Jig 2 ,a win a, .Hfw n a 4 z. M @#1 @4 V\ Il l Il, n Q M Z i /L IJJT 3 ,n FHL O 3 |l. Mlm f|||n\| .u flu C..

March 24 1953 T. R. GlLCHRlsT RAILWAY PILOT STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1949 @f @if March 24, 1953 T. R. GlLcHRlsT RAILWAY PILOT STRUCTURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 35 Filed Feb. 5, 1949 FIG.

Patented Mar. 24, 1`953 o RAILWAY PILOT STRUCTURE Thomas R. Gilclirist,"Yeadon,` Pa., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation 'of Delaware Application February 5, 1949, serial No. 74,830

- n Yl The invention relates, to railway vehicles `and more particularly to pilot structure therefor.

Dieselelectric locomotives usually are designed to run either forwardly or rearwardly and, therefore, it is desirable to provide pilots at both ends of the locomotive, and to` provide couplers and steam line connections at both ends so that another vehicle may be coupled to either end of the locomotive. `The pilot must be constructed so that it will not interfere with the steam pipes when thevsteam connection is made between the coupled vehicles.

'One object of the invention is to have the steam pipes easily accessible to facilitate making the usual steam connection with another ve-` hicle, and further to enclose the steam pipes substantially wholly within the pilot, when the pipes are not being used, to protect them from obstacles in the path ofthe locomotive.

v,Another object is to provide a relatively rigid structure on the lower portion of the pilot, which structure maybe moved between a closed position, in which it extends across the pilot recess and protects the steam pipes when the pipes are retracted intoy the pilot and transmits forces, resulting from Vcollision with objects on the track, to'the rigid portions of the pilotat the sides of the recess, and an open position in which the structure clears the coupler recess so that the pipes may bev readily Withdrawn from the pilot. Another object is to resist rearward thrust on the structure ldescribed above, when in closed position, by portions of the pilot at the sides of the coupler recess and without providing a brace member for the'structure and extending across the coupler recess.

These general objects and other detail objects are accomplished by providing relatively shallow members hinged at their outer ends to the pilot. The members, when closed, are positioned forwardly of a plane passing through the hinge pivots and interlock at their inner ends and engage the pilot at their outer ends so that the members are thrust into tighter engagement with one another and with the pilot at the sides of the recess when the members strike an obstacle in the pathV of the locomotive. This arrangement eiectively braces the members against appreciable lrearwardmovement within the pilot. The above objects and their attainment will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates from the following description andV accompanying drawings, in which: Y

VFigure 1 shows locomotive front end structure constructed according to the invention and is in part a topview and1 in part a lhorizontal section 6 claims. (c1. 213-4) taken approximately on the line' I-I of `Figure 2. a

Figure 2 is in part a front viewand in part a transverse vertical section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken approximately on the line 3--3 of Figure 2. Figure` 4 is a view corresponding generally Vto Figure 4l and shows another form'of the invention, the right hand side being a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 5. n i

Figure 5 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 4. Y

, Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section taken approximately on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

The front end I of the locomotive framing mounts a pilot 2 recessed at 3 to receive a drop coupler structure 4 including a head 5 and a rigid shank 6. The locomotive framing includes sills 1 for mounting a draft gear 8, including a yoke 9; The coupler shank S and draft yoke' 9 are connected by a link l0 bifurcated vertically at its forward end to receive the coupler and bifurcated` horizontally at its rear end to be received in` pockets lI in the draft yoke.

Link I9 is provided at its forward end with a horizontal pivot I2 to coupler shank 6 and at its rear end with a vertical pivot I3 to yoke 9. A horizontal pin I4, extending through a horizontally elongated aperture I5 in shank 6 and through the forward end of link I0, cooperates with pivot I2 tc maintaincoupler 4 in the same horizontal plane and in operative position with link I9. The intermediate portion of link I0 has a wear plate I6 attached to the lower face and is slidably supported by a carrier bar4 I1 extending transversely of the locomotive and yieldingly supported by springs I8 seated in a channel-shaped member I9 on upright webs 2li of the pilot. Yoke 9 rests on a support 2| secured to spaced draft sills l. f

In Figures 1-3 a lower portion of the forward face of pilot 2 at each side of coupler recess 3V forms a pocket 22 for a double hinge 23 pivoted to the pilot by a pin 23a. Bottom closure members 24A are pivoted to hinges 23 -by pins 23h. The l bottom members swing on hinges V23 between a closed position, in which the members extend across the lower portion 'of the pilot'recess, as shown in solid lines in Figure 1, and an open po' sition, in which the members are at the sides of the recess, as shown in dot-dash lines in the same figure. When members 24 are in closed position, their inner' ends interlock with one another atr 25 and arepositioned forwardly Vof'a plane X--X passing through pivots `i231), and the outer ends `of the members have elements 26 directly abutting the recess side walls 2a, and ribs 21 integra1 with the side walls and projecting into the recess.

The bottom members are effectively braced against appreciable rearward movement within the pilot when the members strike an obstacle in the path of the locomotive, because the members are thrust into engagement with one angother and with the pilot at the sides of the recess.

Double hinges 23 facilitate swinging the members from one position to another. The members may be moved readily from open to closed position by swinging the members on both pivots 23a, 23h until the inner ends of the members are adjacent one another and then interlocking the inner ends as the members swing on both pivots simultaneously until elements 26 on the members engage ribs 21 on the pilot.

When the members are in open position, hinges 23 extend outwardly from pockets 22 diagonally of the locomotive center line and when the members are in closed position the hinges extend substantially at right angles to their open position and abut the rear walls of the pockets which are formed to the contour of the hinges.

A pin 28 extends through perforated overlapping lugs 29 on the inner ends of bottom members 24 to hold the members in closed position. Chains 30 at the outer ends of the pilot may engage lugs 29 on the bottom members for holding the members in open position.

Train piping 3l, provided with swivel joints 32, 33, is arranged for forward extension from and for retraction into pilot 2. Pipes 3| may be extended from pilot 2 for attachment to the pipes of an adjacent car when bottom members 24 are in open position. When pipes 3| are retracted into pilot 2 to inoperative position, botrtom members 24, when closed, protect the pipes against accidental engagement with objects on the track.

Coupler 4 may be swung vertically about pivot I2 from functioning position to inactive position until coupler head 5 is received substantially wholly within the pilot when bottom members 24 are in either position. Bottom members 24, when closed, and coupler 4, when dropped, cooperate to form an obstacle deflecting surface on the pilot without the use of full length doors. If desired, thin sheet metal may be applied to the bottom members and extend upwardly therefrom to form a closure for the pilot opening when the coupler is in retracted position.

The structure shown in Figures 4 6 is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1-3, except that bottom members 40 extend upwardly from the bottom of the pilot substantially a greater distance than members 24 in Figures 1 3. Also, each member 40 is mounted on a single pivot 4| for swinging movement between a closed position, shown in solid lines in Figure 4, in which the members protect the train piping, and an open position, shown in dot-dash lines in the same gure, in which the members are at the sides of the pilot. The inner ends of members 40 interlock at 42 and the outer ends of members 40 have elements 43 engaging ribs 44 integral with pilot 2 and extending into coupler recess 3. Members 40 may be moved readily from one position to another when coupler 4 is dropped. In moving the members from open to closed position, they may be swung separately abouttheir pivots 4| until their inner ends are adjacent one another and the inner ends then may Vbeinterlocked as the members are swung 4 together on their pivots 4I until elements 43 on the members engage ribs 44 on the pilot.

With the arrangements described, there is a clear, unobstructed space between the lower parts of the members forming the sides and front of the pilot and this space is available for movement of the coupler head to the position shown in Figures 3 and 6 and for movement of the piping from the position shown in Figures 4 and 5 to an extended functioning position and the pipes are readily accessible to facilitate withdrawing the pipes from the recess to make the usual steam connection to the adjacent vehicle.

When the members are closed they form a toggle-like joint so that if an obstacle is struck, the impact wedges them more firmly in position and transmits the impact force directly to the rigid side parts of the pilot which consists of castings of angular hollow cross section (such as channel or box shapes) formed integrally with the top portion and rear portion of the pilot.

The details of the construction may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What I claim is:

l. Railway pilot structure comprising a rigid cast metal pilot having upright side members spaced apart to provide a recess for receiving train piping, integral upright ribs on said side members extending transversely of the pilot from the sides of the recess into the recess, rigid cast metal closure members hinged at their outer ends to the side members adjacent the recess and swingable between a closed position, in which they extend across the recess, and an open position in which they extend away from the sides of the recess, there being integral elements on the outer ends of said closure members facing rearwardly of the pilot directly abutting said ribs when said closure members are in closed position.

V2. A railway pilot structure having a front wall with a central opening for accommodating a drop coupler and steam and air piping, and a pair of closure members each hinged at one end to said wall at a respective side of said opening and movable on its hinge to a closed position, in which its opposite swinging end abuts the swinging end of the other member at the center of the pilot, and to a position extending from its hinged end away from the opening and alongside the front wall, said members, when in closed position, being inclined from the center of the pilot rearwardly and laterally and transmitting impact thrusts directly through their hinged ends to the front wall at the sides of said opening, said opening being unobstructed from side to side of said opening rearwardly of said members, when the latter are in closed position, for positioning of coupler and piping elements behind said members.

3. A pilot structure as described in claim 2, in which each of the swinging closure members has vertically spaced hinges and each closure member includes a portion between its hinges abutting the adjacent portion of the front wall when the closure members are in a closed position.

4. A railway pilot comprising a front wall, there being a rigid top member of angular hollow section extending from side to side of the pil-ot and rigid side members of angular hollow section depending fromsaid top member and forming portions of the pilot front wall but spaced apart transversely of the pilot and free of connections to each other adjacent their lower ends, whereby an unobstructed space is provided for a drop coupler head and for steam and air pipes near the front of the pilot adjacent the front wall, swinging upright doors, each hinged at one upright end to a forward portion of an individual one of said side members and movable to a closed position, in which the doors extend across said opening and their swinging upright ends abut each other, and movable to an open position in which the doors extend away from the opening alongside said side members.

5. In combination, a railway vehicle pilot including a top member and side members depending therefrom and spaced apart transversely of the pilot, a coupler having a lhorizontal pivot mounted on the pilot, said coupler being movable about said pivot to a functioning position, in which the coupler head projects forwardly of the pilot, and to a lowered position in which the coupler head lies between the lower portions of said side members, a closure for the lower portion 6. In a railway pilot structure, front and rear portions, side portions extending between said front and rear portions and a top portion extendi-ng between the upper parts of said front, rear and side portions, the side portions being integral with the rear and the top portions and being spaced apart transversely of the pilot and providing an opening between said side portions, brackets on said side portions for mounting a coupler carrier, upright closure members hinged" to the forward parts of said side portions below said top portion to swing towards each other into position, to extend across the spa-ce between said side portions with their upper parts in front of said brackets, and into position immediately in front of said side portions, said members having their hinges near the bottom of the side members and near the level of said brackets, there being interengaging elements on said side portions and closure members, when the latter are in position to close the opening, extending substantially the full depth of said closure members between their individual hinges.

THOMAS R. GILCHRIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 603,897 Farrar May 10, 1898 2,105,705 Spathelf Jan. 18, 1938 2,177,826 Hansen Oct. 31, 1939 2,244,002 Dilworth .r- June 3, 1941 2,266,303 Blomberg Dec. 16, 1941 

